EU’s biometric system to replace passport stamps from Apr 10, here’s what changes for travellers

The European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) will become fully operational across all external border crossing points from April 10, marking a major shift in how travellers enter and exit participating European countries.

The system, which began phased implementation on October 12, 2025, has now been rolled out completely after a six-month transition period. With this, traditional passport stamping has been replaced by a digital registration process based on biometric data.

What changes?

Under the fully implemented EES, travellers entering participating European countries for the first time since the rollout are required to provide personal data at border control. This includes a facial photograph and, in most cases, fingerprint scans, which are stored in a secure digital record.

Border authorities said the system is aimed at modernising border management, improving security, and streamlining entry and exit procedures. However, travellers will no longer receive physical passport stamps.

The EU has also introduced options to speed up the process, allowing travellers to pre-register some of their data through self-service kiosks at border points or, where available, via dedicated mobile applications. Despite this, all travellers are still required to complete verification with a passport control officer.

The EES is being implemented across multiple European countries, including major destinations such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Switzerland.

Officials said the move is expected to enhance monitoring of short-stay travellers, reduce irregular migration, and improve overall efficiency at border crossings.

However, as per reports, it is believed that in earlier days, there may be long queues with higher waiting time due to the first time data collection at the airports.